An account to benefit Kevin Gardels of Portales has been established at Wells Fargo Bank. Gardels is a cancer survivor, having undergone treatment for primary myelofibrosis, which included a bone marrow transplant in 2003. More recently, he was diagnosed with emphesema, and last month had two heart attacks. He will require continuing treatment at a […]

Social Work Program accredited The Social Work Program at Eastern New Mexico University has announced its accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education through 2012. Eastern offers social work courses at Mesalands Community College in Tucumcari, Artesia Workforce Center, ENMU-Portales, ENMU-Roswell, New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs, Carlsbad, Clovis Community College, Cannon Air Force […]

Singles adult fellowship lunch set The adult singles of the First United Methodist Church are planning a Dutch treat lunch at noon Sunday at Pizza Hut in Portales, according to a news release. All singles of the area are invited to attend. Child care will not be available. Organizers hope to establish a singles ministry […]

By Sharna Johnson: Freedom New Mexico With the rising ease of using social networks and public record databases online, people admit they’re doing informal investigations to know who they’re dealing with. Information on personal interaction, marital status, child support delinquencies and even criminal convictions is a click mouse away. Sharesse Sawyer of Clovis said she […]

By Janet Bresenham, Freedom New Mexico Stirring people to action when it comes to social justice issues such as poverty, hunger and disease motivates the Rev. Tony Campolo to speak passionately and unapologetically to audiences around the country. “Was Jesus kidding when he said to love your enemies, to overcome evil with good?”

Friday Power Hour — 4:30 p.m., Homework assistance. Social Hour — 4:30 – 6:30 p.m., The Landing. Brat bar and light hors d’oeuvres will be served. Quick shot bingo is two for one for members first. Double Discount — Club members receive double discount during lunch at The Landing. Mongolian Barbecue — 5-8 p.m., The […]

Freedom New Mexico Social Security offices nationwide are bracing for the first round of baby boomers to hit retirement age. Local Social Security officials are urging individuals to utilize the Internet to file their application. “Staffing levels are at an all-time low,” Social Security District Manager Tony Romero said. “So, we are really pushing the […]

Editorial Labor Day began at the instigation of labor unions in the 1860s as a way to celebrate the “working man” and demonstrate the “esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations.” As membership in unions (except, interestingly, government employee unions) has waned, the day has increasingly become, unofficially, the Last Great Barbecue of […]

By Karl Terry: PNT Managing Editor Minimum wage and health care were the dominant topics Monday during U.S. Rep. Tom Udall’s Town Hall Meeting at Portales City Hall. The wide-ranging discussion also covered topics from student loans to the Iraq War. It was Udall’s first meeting in Portales since Democrats took control of the U.S. […]

Editorial The Venezuelan National Assembly confirmed what has been in the works for more than a month: President Hugo Chavez, an avowed socialist who sees Cuban dictator Fidel Castro as his role model, has been handed virtually unlimited power to rule by decree for the next 18 months. This new era of what Chavez calls […]

By Kevin Wilson: Freedom Newspapers While I was on a dinner break last week, I went to a fast-food restaurant for a quick bite. While in line, I heard a teenager behind me sitting and joking with his friends. The teenager was not willing to trade seats with another friend. He said with laugh, “I’m […]

By Anita Doberman: Columnist My husband and I adopted our son Matteo from Ethiopia. Our adoption journey has been exceptional. It has taught us things about ourselves and others, and surprised us in unexpected ways. Being a military family, we had to overcome practical obstacles. Finding references who lived in our area and had known […]